Fun Or Nearly Free Activities In Pinellas County, Florida

Are you looking for some fun things to do on the west coast of Florida, but don’t want to break your budget? Enjoy these fun or nearly free activities in Pinellas County, Florida.

The Florida Botanical Gardens is a wonderful place to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle of life. Take a picnic and sit by the fountains or beautiful gardens. This place is absolutely free and since it’s sunny most of the time in Florida, you won’t be disappointed by the weather, especially if you come in the late Winter or early Spring. Read more about it here.

This is a great idea if you have smaller children. However, this will be a hit or miss visit. There are many firehouses so just google the closest one to where you’re staying. Firehouses are usually booked ahead of time for schools because they will arrive at the school and give a demonstration of their truck and equipment.

I suggest that if it’s just your family that wants to see the firetrucks in person, that you show up at the firehouse with a plan. There is no charge. They usually like 2 weeks notice, but keep in mind that if they have an emergency, they must leave immediately. Also, you NEED to ask for permission to take any photos. Photos here were asked for permission ahead of time and given an ok to post. I want to thank Largo Fire Department #42 for giving me permission to visit and photo usage. And, especially thank you for the firefighters for their service!

Ft. Desoto is a gorgeous beach park with amenities to picnic shelters, swimming, restrooms, trails, playgrounds, historic fort, cannons & ruins, and campground. There is a small parking fee of about $5 and that’s all. If you plan to visit, plan on spending most of your day here. It is a great place, especially for large families! All Ft. Desoto photos courtesy of Erika Rust.

If you’re looking to learn about the historic side of Pinellas County, visiting Heritage Village is the place. Here you will learn about some of the first buildings in Pinellas County and how they used to live. It is a free self-guided tour and you are welcomed to bring a lunch. The Florida Botanical Gardens is next door and you can make a day of both of these!

Largo Park is a beautiful park situated in downtown Largo off of East Bay Drive and Seminole Boulevard. The city of Largo is between Clearwater and Indian Rocks Beach. It is actually not far at all from The Florida Botanical Gardens and Heritage Village.

This park is excellent for exercising, it has a big playground, dog walking baggie stations, and the library, which I will talk about next, is next door. It is also one of my favorite parks to go to because it honors our veterans past & present with a special courtyard.

At Christmastime, this park is heavily decorated with lights, decorations, and fun fair activities in which the park opens for two nights in December that make it extra special for the entire family to attend. For these two nights, I highly recommend you arrive & park early as it can get crowded and there will be a small parking fee, but it is definitely worth it!

If you thought all that is great, one of the most fun activities that the park offers are the trains! Ever since our boys were babies, we have taken them to the trains at Largo Park. There is no age limitation so anyone can get on them. The trains are run by park volunteers, so a small donation is greatly appreciated. The trains are open the first full weekend of every month.

For another fun park idea where nature is at its best, check out Boyd Hill Nature Preserve located in St. Petersburg.

Don’t pass up the library. Our local library is Largo Library, just across from Largo Park. The library has so much more to offer other than just books. For instance, special activities for preschoolers like storytime, movie checkouts, great research tools, and a bookstore you can purchase books from. This is true, I believe, of many libraries so go and visit your library today.

Here is something not many people know about! Did you know that you can get free museum tickets at Largo Library? Make sure to call your local library to see if this is something that is available in your hometown!

Here is a current, as of the date of this post, brochure of information regarding the museum passes.

Pier 60 is one of Clearwater Beach’s most iconic pier and is visited by millions of people. There are restaurants, fishing, and, of course, the beach. Clearwater Beach has been named by TripAdvisor as 2018’s #1 beach in America and Top Ten Beaches in the world! If you visit Pinellas County, make sure to make time to stop at Pier 60.

The Pinellas Trail is a stretch of pavement that starts at South St. Petersburg, passes through 7 cities, and ends at Tarpon Springs. It is almost 40 miles in which you can bike, walk, or run the trail. It is a great way to get your sunny Florida exercise in!

Safety Harbor is a quaint town near Clearwater that has a magnificent view of the Tampa Bay waterway. With local shops, a resort & spa, library, and great food, it makes for such a lovely stroll on a beautiful day. Read more about it here.

The Seaside Seabird Sanctuary is located off the Gulf of Mexico on Indian Shores beautiful beaches. It is a not for profit organization that is committed to helping rescue, treat, and rehabilitate birds of all kinds. They want to see the birds thrive to be able to get back into their natural environment. This is a great educational self-guided tour for any age and it is absolutely free! Donations are appreciated.

Tarpon Springs is a large Greek community located on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. It is historic for its sponge docks along the Dodecanese Boulevard. There is plenty to do here with a lot of shopping, Greek eateries, and charter boats taking you out to the Gulf for dolphin watching. Read more about it here.